I originally posted this in the VB-6 forum.
I work at a small hospital that is considering purchasing a HIS (hospital information system) and all of its components. Right now we have the base part of the HIS which is the accounting module (AR, AP, GL, Paychecks, and Billing). I have written the order entry part that we use and am about 75% done with the lab module. The lab module interfaces with various types of lab machines and sends and receives tests and results into the order entry program that I wrote. The order entry program is where the users schedule procedures and charge patients procedures and supplies. I am trying to get the hospital to let me write the software instead of buying it. I am confident I can do so and they have the working modules I have written in order to validate my work. This is all dependent on a grant that we are working on. The purchase price of the HIS would be about $750,000 and about $15,000 per month to support! I am confident I can provide a superior product for much less than that. To me it would be a win/win for the hospital. They would get the product at a good price and I could make a little money also. The only reservation they have had so far is the question "what if something happens to you, who will support it"? My answer to that is to take me under contract so I can't leave and I would like to hire an asst. programmer to shadow me during the process and help in writing the software. This person could be a backup. Even with that position the bottom dollar costs would be very much less than a prepackaged HIS. In addition it would be custom written with the end users input. Written for the users by the users if you will. Also it would be expandable which a prepackaged HIS is basically not. You just adapt to what it comes with.
I said all that to say this. How would you sell the package? You are all programmers so you know what I am looking at. What do you think are strengths and weaknesses to doing it inhouse? My wife works at Vanderbilt hospital and one of the I.T. people there told her that they have an inhouse programming department and they write all their software. Why not do it on a smaller scale?
Thanks in advance.
Shannan
I work at a small hospital that is considering purchasing a HIS (hospital information system) and all of its components. Right now we have the base part of the HIS which is the accounting module (AR, AP, GL, Paychecks, and Billing). I have written the order entry part that we use and am about 75% done with the lab module. The lab module interfaces with various types of lab machines and sends and receives tests and results into the order entry program that I wrote. The order entry program is where the users schedule procedures and charge patients procedures and supplies. I am trying to get the hospital to let me write the software instead of buying it. I am confident I can do so and they have the working modules I have written in order to validate my work. This is all dependent on a grant that we are working on. The purchase price of the HIS would be about $750,000 and about $15,000 per month to support! I am confident I can provide a superior product for much less than that. To me it would be a win/win for the hospital. They would get the product at a good price and I could make a little money also. The only reservation they have had so far is the question "what if something happens to you, who will support it"? My answer to that is to take me under contract so I can't leave and I would like to hire an asst. programmer to shadow me during the process and help in writing the software. This person could be a backup. Even with that position the bottom dollar costs would be very much less than a prepackaged HIS. In addition it would be custom written with the end users input. Written for the users by the users if you will. Also it would be expandable which a prepackaged HIS is basically not. You just adapt to what it comes with.
I said all that to say this. How would you sell the package? You are all programmers so you know what I am looking at. What do you think are strengths and weaknesses to doing it inhouse? My wife works at Vanderbilt hospital and one of the I.T. people there told her that they have an inhouse programming department and they write all their software. Why not do it on a smaller scale?
Thanks in advance.
Shannan
I have yet to demonstrate my program so who knows? 